Golf apparatus



Dec. 22, 1925- 1,566,945

E. E. WINKLEY GOLF APPARATUS Filed NOV. 8, 1925 2 Sheets'Sheet lInventor:

Dec. 22, 1925- v E. E. WINKLEY GOLF APPARATUS Filed Nov. 8, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 2 [fivezlorr Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

1,566,945 PATENT OFFICE.

EBASTUS E. WINKLEY, 01E LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

GOLF APPARATUS.

Application filed November 8, 1923. Serial 1%. 678,490;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ems-res E. WINKLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at L nn, in the county of Essex and State of assachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Golf Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a golf practice device for use either indoorsor outdoors and more particularly to a simple and easily asiismb ed formof stop for receiving driven ba It is im ortant in devices of thischaracter that t e stop he so constructed as to eliminate danger of theball rebounding toward the pla er on any stroke; to provide means for eectually arresting the balls fli ht; and to prevent a topped ball fromrofiing under and beyond the stop.

The object of the invention is to provide a golf practice stop havingthe advantages just named, and having such other advantages as may beset forth in the following description.

Accordingly the invention comprises the features and combinations ofarts hereinafter described and then particu arly pointed out in theappended claims.

The preferred form of the invention 1s illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the stop and Its supporting frame;Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the center of the stop illustratingits action in receiving and stopping a driven ball; and Fig. 3'is aview, in side elevation of the stop in the position it assumes prior toreceiving a driven ball.

. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawin s thereare but two main parts of the bal sto i. e. a skeleton Y frame,indicated generally y 5, and a drive v-receivmg curtain, or stop proper,of flexible frame 5 is so constructed as to present the material,indicated generally by 7 The minimum amount of metal, or other materialof which it may be constructed, in the field of the stop, and to providesuflicient resistance to the impact of the driven ball of floor membersor rails 8 and 9 held in spaced parallel relation by transverse braces10 and 11, and a pair of diagonal stop hold- 1ng members or arms 12 and13 wh1ch extend forwardly and u wardly from the rear of the floor rails.T ese arms are held in position by rearwardly placed vertical braces 14at each side and an upper cross brace 15. The forward end portions ofthe arms 12 and 13 are preferably bent downward, so as to be paralleltothe rails, and the extreme ends are provided with hooks 16 and 17. Itwill be observed that the skeleton frame is so constructed that the onlyrigid parts presented toward the player are the extreme ends of the fourframe members 8, 9, 12 and 13. There is no other rigid art in the planeof the stop curtain from w ich a driven ball can rebound to the injuryof a player, and the chances of a ball squarely hitting any of the fourframe member ends is negli 'ble.

The our frame member ends are at the four corners of a rectangular areawhich is covered by the drive receivin curtain 7. As illustrated thefloor rail on s are in advance of the diagonal arm ends, but this is notessential and all four ends may be in the same vertical plane as will beapparent to those skilled in the art.

The ball stop 7 is in the form of a curtain of flexible material,preferably heavy canvas or duck, and is rectangular in form being of thesame width as the transverse distance between the frame members at eachside but considerably longer than the distance between the upper andlower pairs of frame member ends. Each corner is provided with an eyeletand when the two upper eyelets are ringed on the hooks 16 and 17 theupper edge of the curtain is held taut permitting the body of the stopto hang vertically from these two points of suspension, the side edgesbeing wholly free and unsecured. The eyelets at the two lower cornersmay be oval in form so as to slip over swivelled buttons 18 and 19, atthe forward ends of the floor rails, which may be turned to hold thelower edge of the curtain taut across the floor or ground. Thisconstruction prevents the ball, if topped or otherwise struck so as toroll,-from passing under the curtain.

The extra length of the curtain 7 causes it naturally to hang with atransverse fold 20 at the lower edge of the vertical area. The formationof this fold and conse uent vertical presentation of the main portlon ofthe curtain is insured by weighting the central portion of the stop, asby applying additional thicknesses of the canvas. As illustrated a piece21 is secured across the front and a piece 22 at the back. In additionto weighting the curtain so that it naturally will hang in a verticalplane} between the u or and lower frame members, these add1t1onal layersreinforce and strengthen the stop at its central portion where itreceives the hardest service from driven balls.

If desired, the apron 23 of the curtain ma be held taut, in alongitudinal direction, an close to the floor by a pair of straps 24 oneattached at each rear side margin of the curtain at the base of the fold20 and secured to the frame as by encircling the cross brace 10. The useof the straps 24 will ensure the stop unvaryingly resuming its verticalposition with the fold 20 held to the rear, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.If the straps are not employed the device can be used with equalfacility for practice, but when the ends of the fold or fullness 20 arenot held by the straps, i. e. if the side margins of the apron 23 arenot held taut, then the ends of the fold frequently fall forward andinward when the curtain straightens after an impact by the ball, and thestop presents a rumpled appearance to the player which is not sopleasing and gives the impression of a poorer target to drive against.This would however, only aflect the novice.

In using the golf stop the ball 25 may be a free ball or a tetheredball, as illustrated. A. door mat 26 may conveniently be used, as a.simulation of turf, to drive from and the length of the attaching cordsmay be such as to determine the distance a free ball should be placedfrom the stop for it properly to receive the practice shots.

It will be understood that the important feature of the practice deviceis the stop 7.

When a portable apparatus is required then the stop may conveniently bemounted on a comparatively light movable frame of the characterhereinbefore described, but it is within the scope of the invention toprovide any other supporting means which will cause the novel stop topresent a smooth, vertical target portion to the player and yetsuccessfully arrest the flight of a driven ball without rebound. Indoorsthe stop may be hung from corner supports, pro ecting a suitabledistance from a wall, as is suggested by Fig. 2, and in its simplestform the lower corners of the stop might be secured directly to thefloor, the only supportin members required being at the upper e ge ofthe flexible sheet material.

Attention is called particularly to the mounting of the drive receivingcurtain which reduces to a minimum the exposure of the rigid material ofthe supporting frame and practically eliminates danger of rebound. Alsoto the mode of mounti'n the loose or full curtain, with its unsecureside e es. When the curtain is struck by-the ba 1 its fullness permitsit to belly, creating a suction at its forward face which with theresistance to forward movement offered by the air at its rear face,quickly stops the driven ball. The curtain is heavier than the ball andthe resistance and suction act togetheir to overcome the force andvelocity of the ball which, when its flight is arrested, rolls down ontothe apron 23 and the curtain then resumes its vertical positionillustrated by Fig. 2. Since the a ron is drawn taut across the floor orgroun improperly-stroked balls cannot roll under the stop and canreadily be recovered for another stroke. The flexible stop is rigidlysecured, yet retains sufiicient flexibility to stop a driven ballwithout rebound.

The scope of the invention having been indicated, and its preferred formhaving been specifically described, what is claimed as new, 1s:-

1. A stop for olf practice comprising a suitably braced rame presentingtwo pair of spaced forwardly extending members the four forward endsonly of which are presented to the player, one pair on the floor orground and the other pair a suitable distance thereabove; and a flexibledrive receiving curtain e ual in width to the horizontal spacing o theframe members and having a length greater than the vertical distancebetween said upper and lower pairs, secured to said four frame ends byits four corners.

2. A stop for golf practice comprising a suitably braced framepresenting two pair of spaced forwardly extending members the fourforward ends only of which are presented to the player, one pair on thefloor or ground and the other pair a suitable dis-' tance thereabove;and a flexible drive receiving curtain connected at its upper and loweredges to said upper and lower airs respectively having a transverse foldintermediate its points of connection.

'3. A stop for golf practice comprising a suitably braced framepresenting two pa1r a horizontal portion at its lower end formed by atransverse fold.

4. A stop for olf practice comprising a suitably braced i ramepresenting two pair of spaced forwardly extending members the fourforward ends only of which are presented to the player, one pair on thefloor or ground and the other pair a suitable distance thereabove and ina vertical plane to the rear of the lower pair; a flexible drivereceiving curtain securedby its upper corners to said upper pair and byits lower corners to said lower pair, having a length to provide afullness between its upper and lowersecured edges, the lower portion ofwhich is turned forward, to provide a horizontal apron, and means forholding said apron taut and close to the floor.

5. A golf practice device comprising a frame const ucted and arranged topresent to the player only the four ends of four forwardly projectingstop holding members, said ends defining the four corners of an uprightrectangle; and a rectangular, flexible ball stop having its four cornerssecured to said four frame ends, said stop being equal in width to thetransverse spacing of said frame member ends whereby it hangs verticailywith its upper and lower edges held taut, but the length of said stopbeing greater than the vertical spacin of said frame member ends wherebythe ullness of its unsecured sides permit it to belly on impact by theball and then resume its vertical position.

6; A hanging, flexible stop for golf practice presenting to the player asmooth, vertical target with a transverse fold at its lower edge andhaving unsecured side edges.

7. A hanging stop for golf practice of flexible sheet material having asmooth, vertical target portion, a transverse fold at the lower edge ofsaid portion, and its extreme lower edge secured in substantially theplane of the floor.

8. A stop for golf practice of flexible sheet material, hung from itsupper edge only to present a smooth vertical target portion, secured byits lower edge in substantially the plane of the floor and having atransverse fold intermediate said edges, andmeans for insuring that saidfold will be maintained at the rear of said vertical portion.

9. A stop for golf practice of flexible sheet material secured at its uper and lower edges, but having free side e ges and being of such lengthas to belly when struck by a ball, and provided with a wei hted centralportion for causing said stop invariably to return to a positionpresenting a smooth, vertical target portion after the force of eachimpact has been spent.

10. A stop for golf practice comprising two horizontal spaced framemembers adapted to rest on the floor or ground and two superposed framemembers so braced as to present only the four ends of said members tothe player; and a flexible drive receiving curtain of greater lengththan the distance between the forward ends of said upper and lower pairsof frame members and secured by its upper and lower corners to said fourforward ends, said curtain being weighted at its central area to causeit to hang vertically from said upper members and maintain a transversefold at the lower end of said vertical portion.

11. A golf practice device comprising two horizontal spaced framemembers adapted to rest on the floor or ground and two diagonal spacedframe members extending upwardly and forwardly from points at the rearends of said horizontal members; a ball stop of flexible sheet materialhaving free side edges, hanging vertically by its upper edge from theforward ends of said diagonal members, having a transverse fold adjacentsaid horizontal members and connected by its lower edge to the forwardends of said horizontal members;'and a pair of straps secured to theside margins at the rear face of said stop below said fold and connectedto said frame for holding the lower portion of the stop taut with thefold at the rear of the vertical ortion.

E ASTUS E WINKLEY.

